Shut-up & Let Me Go to The Ting Tings Show!

- Melissa Taylor

(The Ting Tings @ The Pageant on The Delmar Loop)

Originally scheduled to play in the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, the Ting Tings instead performed at the Pageant on Friday, April 3rd due to over selling tickets. When I say performed, I mean exactly that. This funky duo, which hails from Greater Manchester, England, definitely got the crowd cutting a few rugs, bodies moving, beats dropping. The atmosphere gave off the impression of a rave, with almost every girl mimicking guitarist/vocalist Katie White’s tasteful attire.
Tasteful, I regret to say, may not be the word most would choose to describe the opening act. Hot Tub, a female trio from Oakland, California, graced the stage in ripped up leggings and t-shirts—well, mostly pieces of material connected in pivotal regions. However, even some of the precious little clothing they managed to don didn’t last very long. Shirts came off, and things got, might I say, uncomfortable. Their choice of dance was even questionable, as every move involved explicitly sexual motions. Even worse, they didn’t stay on the stage very long. You can guess what that meant for those in the crowd. That’s a memory I would not like to revisit anytime soon or ever preferably.
On the positive side, everyone there most likely was seeking a night of dancing, and Hot Tub, I must say, did not disappoint in that arena. Their rhymes were flowing, and the floor was far from stagnant. However, I, like most others I suspect, was there for the Ting Tings.
They played all 10 tracks off of their first and only album, We Started Nothing. This set included their well-known singles, “That’s Not My Name” and “Shut Up and Let Me Go.” The Pageant was crowded, but the space definitely facilitated the concert more efficiently than Blueberry Hill could have. Actually, this isn’t the first time The Ting Tings have partied in St. Louis. They were here last July, but as Katie White mentioned during the show, she appreciated the air-conditioning and spacious venue. “Thank God for air-conditioning; now let’s play some tunes.” Jules and Katie lived up to their promise of satisfying tunes as they partied and pleased the diverse audience from teenagers to the “mature.” Despite the opening act that left most confused, overall, it was worth the $17.50 to groove with the Ting Tings and dance to their sweet, funky-fresh beats.